Everyone expected Sigma's big CP+ announcement to be the new 50-150mm F1.8 DG HSM Art lens. And it would have, if the company had not also unveiled two new mirrorless cameras at the show. But it's unclear whether either will go on sale in the U.S. at this time.

Fans of Sigma's Foveon sensors have been greeted with modernized versions of its compact dp lineup, but compacts like the dp3 Quattro have fixed lenses that can't be changed. The most recent SLR from Sigma, the SD1 Merrill, is showing its age.

Foveon image sensors feature a layered design that captures color information at every pixel. They're capable of capturing more detail than traditional Bayer sensors, which sample only red, green, or blue at each photosite and interpolate a full-color image from that data. But Foveon processing is more intense and image quality tends to suffer at higher ISO sensitivities.

SD1 owners now have a clear upgrade path. Sigma has announced two mirrorless cameras, the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H, to succeed it. Like the short-lived Pentax K-01, Sigma has opted to develop its mirrorless camera around its existing SA SLR lens mount. This means that owners of the SD1 Merrill and previous SD SLRs can use existing lenses without the need for adapters. But it also means that photographers who are keen on pairing manual focus SLR and rangefinder lenses with a Foveon sensor won't be adapt them for use on the sd Quattro cameras.

Aside from the sensor size, the sd Quattro and sd Quatro H are identical. But sensor size is important. The sd Quattro uses an APS-C image sensor that measures 23.5 by 15.5mm. It's the same size that's found in consumer SLRs and introduces an effective 1.5x crop factor on lenses when compared with a full-frame system—a 35mm prime, which is a moderate wide-angle on a full-frame system, turns into a more standard-angle 52mm lens on an APS-C sensor in terms of angle of view.

If you want to get a bit more wide coverage from full-frame, lenses, the sd Quattro H is a stronger choice. Its image sensor isn't full-frame (36 by 24mm), but rather the APS-H size (26.6 by 17.9mm) that introduces a slightly more modest 1.3x crop. The extra surface area also translates to extra resolution—the sd Quattro captures Raw images at 19.6 megapixels, while the Quattro H manages 25.6 megapixels. Like the dp Quattro series, there's also a high-resolution JPG option—39.3 megapixels for the sd Quattro and 51.2 megapixels for the Quattro H.

Unlike the K-01, Sigma has opted to include a built-in EVF with these models for an eye-level shooting experience that's more like a traditional SLR. The EVF has good spec list—it features a 2.4-megapixel resolution and a large 1.09x magnification ratio. And because it's an electronic display you can toggle grid lines, a digital level, focus peaking, and other overlays.

The rear LCD is 3 inches in size and features a 1.6-megapixel resolution. It can serve to display the view through the lens, or can act as an information display. When set to the latter mode it shows current exposure settings, memory and battery capacity, and lets you navigate through the menu.

A deep handgrip—facing in the traditional forward direction, not backward as the dp Quattro cameras—and top and rear controls appear to be ergonomically sound. And dual image processors promise snappier performance than what we've seen in previous Sigma offerings—the sd Quattro can capture 14 Raw images in a row and the Quattro H can manage 10.

A decent shooting buffer is necessary to leverage what Sigma is calling Super-Fine Detail exposure. In this mode the camera captures seven Raw images in sequence, bracketing exposure so that one is properly exposed, three are underexposed to varying degrees, and another three are overexposed in the same manner. These are saved as a single file, which is processed using the Sigma Photo Pro software (the only Raw converter that supports modern Sigma cameras) to create a single image with loads of detail and minimal noise. A tripod and static subject are required for this to work.

The sd Quattro cameras utilize a hybrid autofocus system that incorporates both contrast and phase detection. You can select from any of 9 focus points, arranged in a grid and covering a central area of the frame. Landscape shooters can stick with the Single focus mode, which locks focus after it's acquired, and those shooting moving targets can switch to the predictive Continuous mode, which tries to lock focus as long as you hold the shutter button halfway down. There's also a Face Detection AF setting for portraits and snapshots.

There's no in-camera flash, but an external hot shoe flash is among the accessories that Sigma his offering for the system. Photographers who prefer a beefier camera can also add a vertical shooting grip, which also powers the camera longer thanks to its ability to hold an extra battery.

Pricing and availability have not yet been set for the sd Quattro and sd Quattro H. It's unclear at this time as to when, or if, an official announcement will be made in the U.S.

About the Author

Senior digital camera analyst for the PCMag consumer electronics reviews team, Jim Fisher is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated on documentary video production. Jim's interest in photography really took off when he borrowed his father's Hasselblad 500C and light meter in 2007. He honed his writing skills at re... See Full Bio

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